Interviewing

Use this simple rule when interviewing: If it could be a slur, don’t say it

01/15/2009

Remind all hiring managers and supervisors that absolutely no racial slurs are allowed during an interview—not even in passing or in jest. Applicants who aren’t hired will get a jury trial if they can show that someone with hiring authority uttered a racial slur.

Even if offer is for ‘at-will’ job, beware making promises you’re not prepared to keep

12/24/2008

Before you make a solid job offer and induce an applicant to make major changes in order to accept the job, consider this: If you end up not being able to follow through on the offer, you may end up sued for breach of promise—in legal terms, called promissory estoppel

As economy falls, résumé fraud and in-house theft rise

12/18/2008

Raise your skepticism level a few notches—and tell supervisors to do the same. Experts say the sinking economy is leading to desperation from both employees and applicants.

Help managers understand the Age Discrimination in Employment Act

12/05/2008

At first glance, the federal ADEA appears rather straightforward: It protects people age 40 and older from employment discrimination based on their age. But the law can affect just about anything managers do, from asking questions in job interviews to assigning job duties …

What’s the weirdest stunt you’ve seen applicants pull?

12/02/2008

Applicants can get creative in their job-hunting efforts, especially in a tight job market. Here are some of the more unusual come-ons seen by readers of our HR Specialist Forum.

Résumé lies are on the rise; 7 tips to separate facts from fudging

12/02/2008

With the sending of résumés as easy as a click of a button, job seekers today are pulling out all the stops to make themselves stand out. Sometimes that includes embellishing their résumés.

Exhibit A: What not to ask applicants for HR jobs

11/21/2008

Frank Bruno aced his first round of interviews for an HR director job at Unitek USA in Pennsylvania. But during his final interview, one of the company’s board members asked the 55-year-old Bruno, “How old are you, 78?”

Document rationale for rejecting every job applicant—and stick with it

11/12/2008

Before you reject a candidate who appears to meet the basic requirements for an open position, make sure you can explain your decision. Then document your rationale in case he or she later claims the real reason for the rejection was some form of discrimination.

Our applicant turns out to be a transgender—can we revoke the job offer?

11/12/2008

Q. Our company has just made a job offer to a highly qualified man to work in our company’s IT department. During the final stages of our interviewing process, the candidate told us that “she” is transgendered —that she would be transitioning from male to female. We believe employing a transgender employee could be very disruptive and cause a morale problem in the company. Can we rescind the offer based on the candidate’s transgender status?

What not to ask your prospective HR director

10/22/2008

It is an unwritten rule in polite society that anyone who feels compelled to guess a person’s age should always guess down. That’s why it’s hard to sympathize with an investor with Unitek USA, who reportedly asked a 55-year-old applicant seeking an HR director’s position, “How old are you, 78?” …